Scranton to Quincy is 181.5 miles and takes about 3h 42m via American Legion Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Pennsylvania, traversing the Northeast region for its entirety. Since most of the drive is on surface roads, expect a more leisurely pace compared to highway cruising. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
90.8 miles from Scranton, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 48m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
168.6 mi
3h 19m
Wayne Road
4.8 mi
8m
Wayne Highway
1.9 mi
3m
Manheim Road
1.7 mi
3m
Anthony Highway
1.3 mi
2m
George N. Wade Memorial Bridge
0.9 mi
1m
River Street
0.9 mi
1m
Cedar Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 168.6 mi, about 3h 19m
Traffic on I-81
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 40 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,410 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,787
Quietest
1 AM
~321 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scranton, PA and Quincy, PA.
1
Start on Wyoming Avenue
0.1 mi·38 sec·Wyoming Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
0.2 mi·24 sec·Lackawanna Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 3023
0.2 mi·22 sec·Cedar Avenue
4
Continue on Cedar Avenue
400 ft·12 sec·Cedar Avenue
5
Turn left onto River Street
0.9 mi·1 min·River Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
7
Merge onto I 81
118 mi·2 hr 19 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 81
0.9 mi·1 min·George N. Wade Memorial Bridge
9
Continue on I 81
51 mi·1 hr·American Legion Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward Wayne Ave
11
Turn left onto PA 316
0.3 mi·32 sec·Wayne Avenue
12
Continue on PA 316
4.8 mi·8 min·Wayne Road
13
Continue on PA 316
1.9 mi·3 min·Wayne Highway
14
Turn left onto Manheim Road
1.7 mi·3 min·Manheim Road
15
Turn right onto PA 997
1.3 mi·2 min·Anthony Highway
16
Turn left onto Shoestring Hill Road
80 ft·3 sec·Shoestring Hill Road
17
Arrive at destination
Shoestring Hill Road
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 42m estimated drive time, you can easily complete this trip in one day. Consider departing in the morning to allow for flexibility with your single recommended stop. The $32 fuel cost estimate is based on the 181.5-mile distance, so plan accordingly. Since the route mostly consists of surface roads, pay attention to local speed limits and potential traffic lights, especially when you're about 168.6 miles into your journey on the American Legion Memorial Highway.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 90.8 miles from Scranton, PA, or about 1h 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 168.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 40 miles or 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 90.8 miles or 1h 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 57m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Quincy, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Scranton, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Scranton, PA
This is one driving day of about 181.5 miles and 3h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 40 miles from Scranton, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on American Legion Memorial Highway for about 168.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 171.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Lackawanna Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Lackawanna Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Turn right onto CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|River Street
Turn left onto River Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.7 mi into trip|~3m in|I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 81 / American Legion Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
171.5 mi into trip|~3h 25m in|PA 316 / Wayne Avenue
Turn left onto PA 316 / Wayne Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.10 one way
$64.20 round trip
$4.49/gal25.4 MPG avg64 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.92
$35.16
$70.31
premium
$5.24
$37.47
$74.94
diesel
$5.35
$38.23
$76.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 63.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
54.5
0
$19.06
$8.71
Efficient EV
45.4
0
$15.88
$7.26
EV Truck/SUV
72.6
0
$25.41
$11.62
Gas CO2
64 kg
EV CO2
21 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jun 3, 2026
Origin
Scranton, PA
Evening
in Scranton on Wednesday
Local time
5:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Partly Cloudy
NE 2 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Quincy, PA
Evening
in Quincy on Wednesday
Local time
5:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Clear
NE 3 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 42m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument
National Monument
More than 7,800 children from 140 Tribes went to the Carlisle School from 1879 to 1918. The National Park Service will collaborate with families, affiliated Tribal Nations, the US Army, historians, an...
1 mi from route
~3 min detour
Free
near mile 137.7
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
6 mi from route
~15 min detour
Free
near mile 93.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily on surface roads, with 0% highway travel. You'll encounter local roads for the majority of the 181.5 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 168.6 miles along the American Legion Memorial Highway. Expect more frequent intersections and potentially slower speeds as you navigate through towns and rural areas.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 168.6 mi on American Legion Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lackawanna Avenue.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Scranton, PA to Quincy, PA is easy. At 3h 42m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,642 ft400 ft
Total Climb
1,256 ft
Total Descent
1,291 ft
Highest Point
1,642 ft
~51.9 mi in
Elevation Range
1,242 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Scranton is a city in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is near Wilkes-Barre, and is the seventh most populous city in the state. Today, it is perhaps best known as the setting of the hit TV show "The Office" and the birthplace of Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States.
Top landmarks
•St. Peter's Cathedral — historic church in Pennsylvania, United States
•Steamtown National Historic Site — railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania
•Albright Memorial Building — library in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 168.6 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 19 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lackawanna Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CR 3023 / Cedar Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (River Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument and Appalachian National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Quincy, PA, but most travelers stay overnight.
